Frankly, I'm amazed that Americans put up with the idea of picking up an item with a price on it, and then being charged a different price - but I suppose the heavy social bias towards tipping (rather than increased wages) means that tends to happen in other scenarios anyway. It would be completely viable to quote prices including tax in the US, companies would just have to deal with a variable profit margin rather than consumers dealing with a variable cost, but I think the motivation not to move to such a scheme is the 9.99 effect: people will tend to buy things which seem to be better value without putting more than a trivial amount of thought into whether the thing actually is better value.

Keep in mind, we have no national consumption tax. Some states have none. In other localities, with state, county and city taxes combined, it can exceed 10%. Considering the hundreds if not thousands of possible permutations, it would be confusing if not impossible for online retailers (in particular) to advertise the exact price to every customer. The system is "different," if only because the US system of government is far more decentralized than most nations, but you get used to it.

The real problem with the system is that it's porous beyond belief. Ordering goods from out-of-state retailers to avoid paying sales tax is a routine tax dodge in the US. The states are trying to crack down on that method of avoidance, but it's expensive for the states and frustrating to tax payers, since (in California at least) they are using business income tax returns to trigger audits. We got gaffed that way this year.

Keep in mind, we have no national consumption tax. Some states have none...

What state doesn't have sales tax? Unless you're talking about how groceries and other consumable items are tax free (in some states to-go orders are tax free while in others they aren't. As far as I'm aware though every state charges sales tax on soda but not water).

EDIT: Never mind, answered my own question - Alaska has no sales tax. Apparently just living there is taxing enough! haha

EDIT2: And Delaware, New Hampshire, Montana, Oregon - didn't realize there were so many...

As a general question to residents of those states - do they just make it up in property taxes or what? I know Alaska has a crazy deal with low to non-existent tax on everything but, ya know, it's Alaska...

As a general question to residents of those states - do they just make it up in property taxes or what? I know Alaska has a crazy deal with low to non-existent tax on everything but, ya know, it's Alaska...

I don't live in Oregon, but I know the property taxes are quite high there. Income tax possibly too. Alaska actually pays people to live there. All that dough comes from the oil companies.

They really need to get some agreement between the states and set one national rate to make it easier for business and consumers! Fed's can collect it at the one rate and then transfer it to the states.

Dude, we are totally screwed... End of July or even August, at this rate. Gawd knows when the heck Maxis or Digi is even going to start preparing the microSIM and 3G iPad plans. I'm sitting here with my mouth on the floor. Jeez man, this bl**dy country of ours. Sad. Just sad.

Patience, Suni, patience. With it selling like it is, it's not just pre-orders but also people who saw it and then want one, so I think this thing will be worth the wait. We can pre-order Monday, hoping for a May 28th delivery!

Had to wait a heck of a lot longer for the iPhone, so getting the iPad the same year as the US is nice.

Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

Patience, Suni, patience. With it selling like it is, it's not just pre-orders but also people who saw it and then want one, so I think this thing will be worth the wait. We can pre-order Monday, hoping for a May 28th delivery!

Had to wait a heck of a lot longer for the iPhone, so getting the iPad the same year as the US is nice.

You're in Japan so you just have to wait a few weeks. \ Man, can't believe Singapore ain't in on the 28th May thingy. Too small a market.

You're in Japan so you just have to wait a few weeks. \ Man, can't believe Singapore ain't in on the 28th May thingy. Too small a market.

But, Gambateh and enjoy your iPad!

Yeah, this time we got lucky. We were pretty bummed though when they delayed it a month, not to mention suddenly taking all Apple products out of most resellers around the nation. I'm lucky to have a Premium Reseller nearby; friends on the other side of the island have to venture over here (2.5 hours by car) to get to a shop that sells Apple anymore. The number of shops that will display the iPad is very few nationwide.

You'll get yours... hang in there.

Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

I declared mine at the custom. There is no dutie on it, only sale taxes. In my case i paid gst and pst, so about 14%, I also paid the vermont sales tax, which was 35$ for the 500$ model

If you had been out of the country for a week (7 days+ 1sec) would you have had to pay the hst+pst? There is a $750 "duty free" amount but it's not clear if that also means tax free exemption. If not then you are paying state tax, provincial tax and GST. Doesn't seem worth it...

They really need to get some agreement between the states and set one national rate to make it easier for business and consumers! Fed's can collect it at the one rate and then transfer it to the states.

We were pretty bummed though when they delayed it a month, not to mention suddenly taking all Apple products out of most resellers around the nation. I'm lucky to have a Premium Reseller nearby; friends on the other side of the island have to venture over here (2.5 hours by car) to get to a shop that sells Apple anymore. The number of shops that will display the iPad is very few nationwide...

Hey... I thought from the news it's only the Japanese online sites where they stopped selling Apple products? But seems like they were they pulled from brick-and-mortar stores as well, as you mention? Why was that? Were they selling below the recommended prices? Curious because as you know (I think) I do some work for a Reseller here. What happened?

SoftBank's homepage was a bit confusing and unclear on a few points, so I went to my reseller to check. They were confused, too, even though two SoftBank reps were there setting up for tomorrow.

ALL iPads in Japan require a contract of some kind with SoftBank, even the WiFi only model, even if you pay cash for it. I was in an Apple Premium Reseller asking about an Apple product that only has wifi and was told I have to sign a contract with SoftBank. They need ID and a credit card even though I will not use 3G. SB could not give any reason for this.

There was more, but all I will say is that something isn't right with what's going on with Apple in Japan right now and as a customer it is getting very frustrating. If I were a stockholder I'd be livid.

Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

Hey... I thought from the news it's only the Japanese online sites where they stopped selling Apple products? But seems like they were they pulled from brick-and-mortar stores as well, as you mention? Why was that? Were they selling below the recommended prices? Curious because as you know (I think) I do some work for a Reseller here. What happened?

The news was flat wrong on this and did no investigation. Even AI still only has the info found on the news, despite my lengthy discussion is of what is going on here. Two months ago, I knew of ten shops in town where I could buy Apple products. Now there are only two. Apple's homepage has a listing of the shops throughout the country; it is very short.

They used to sell through many retail outlets and their own brick shops. Most of the retail outlets were told suddenly that they could not sell Apple products anymore, effective immediately. One customer, who had an order placed at a shop which had received a shipping notice from Apple for the order, had his order CANCELLED BY APPLE. The customer bought a Sony on the spot. The withdrawal was also very negative for the resellers: Apple requested that they get rid of their floor stock by the end of April, but they were forbidden from offering deep price cuts. One shop I know of has removed stock at their own loss. The manager said rather bluntly that Apple screwed them.

Now we have the iPad situation coming to light slowly and messily.

Something is amiss with Apple here in Japan and as I just said above, as a customer I am quite dissatisfied. My wife is less forgiving and believes that Apple's business model has no concern for its resellers, partners and least of all, customers.

Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

SoftBank's homepage was a bit confusing and unclear on a few points, so I sent to my reseller to check. They were confused, too, even though two SoftBank reps were there setting up for tomorrow.

ALL iPads in Japan require a contract of some kind with SoftBank, even the WiFi only model, even if you pay cash for it. I was in an Apple Premium Reseller asking about an Apple product that only has wifi and was told I have to sign a contract with SoftBank. They need ID and a credit card even though I will not use 3G. SB could not give any reason for this.

There was more, but all I will say is that something isn't right with what's going on with Apple in Japan right now and as a customer it is getting very frustrating. If I were a stockholder I'd be livid.

So even in the seven B&M Apple Stores in Japan, a SoftBank contract will be required on site if you wish to buy either iPad type?

Dick Applebaum on whether the iPad is a personal computer: "BTW, I am posting this from my iPad pc while sitting on the throne... personal enough for you?"

So even in the seven B&M Apple Stores in Japan will require a SoftBank contract signed on site if you wish to buy either iPad type?

That's what I was told by a SoftBank rep today. I hope its wrong.

I was in an Apple Premium Reseller that has no relation to SB and there were two SB reps there preparing to sign people up tomorrow. Even for the pre-order, we have to bring ID and a credit card and sign something like a cell phone contract.

I will know for certain tomorrow. As I said, the reps couldn't answer all of my questions.

Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

Something is amiss with Apple here in Japan and as I just said above, as a customer I am quite dissatisfied. My wife is less forgiving and believes that Apple's business model has no concern for its resellers, partners and least of all, customers.

So it may seem in Japan, but I believe if Apple's business model in general had no room for such concerns they'd quickly have few customers. My concern about the story you've related, apart from the obvious specifics, is that Apple is having problems managing their growth rate. Things are perhaps falling through the cracks that otherwise might not if the company wan't growing at such breakneck speed.

I was in an Apple Premium Reseller that has no relation to SB and there were two SB reps there preparing to sign people up tomorrow. Even for the pre-order, we have to bring ID and a credit card and sign something like a cell phone contract.

I will know for certain tomorrow. As I said, the reps couldn't answer all of my questions.

I can why SoftBank would require a contract for the 3G model. I figured not every country would get a great contract-free deal like the US (Yes, $30/month for unlimited data when carriers sell netbooks are $60/month for 5GB data with 24-month contract).

What I don't get is what SoftBank would charge the customer for if they bought the WiFi model. Do you they sell a comprehensive and fast citywide WiFi plan? I have to assume that the simplest answer is that SoftBak's CSRs are mistaken.

PS: Your wife is right, Apple doesn't care about anything other than turning a profit. Fortunately for partners and customers is does involve appeasing us from time to time in order to achieve that goal.

Dick Applebaum on whether the iPad is a personal computer: "BTW, I am posting this from my iPad pc while sitting on the throne... personal enough for you?"

So it may seem in Japan, but I believe if Apple's business model in general had no room for such concerns they'd quickly have few customers. My concern about the story you've related, apart from the obvious specifics, is that Apple is having problems managing their growth rate. Things are perhaps falling through the cracks that otherwise might not if the company wan't growing at such breakneck speed.

I am speaking for Japan. My dealings with Apple before coming here were awesome. Came to Japan over ten years ago and have not had one satisfactory dealing with Apple Japan. Here you get the feeling that Apple wants you to buy their great products and then, once you do, they say, "Thanks! You're on your own, now!". The B&M Apple Stores are run by Apple US and are pretty good, yet even they use the Apple Japan Call Center and admit that there are problems with it.

Not long ago, I jokingly said to the wife that I would like to write Steve and ask him when could we in Japan be able to buy Apple products with confidence and satisfaction. Today, after our visit to the reseller, she agreed and said we should hold off on all Apple purchases for a while until Apple can clean up the mess. I really want an iPad, so I will go to the shop tomorrow. If the answers aren't what I'm looking for (or if they don't change from what I heard today), I'll likely come home empty-handed.

Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

"Another model that offers users only wireless LAN access will be priced at 53,280 yen and also can be purchased on a two-year installment plan." from SoftBank.

Interestingly, the article also states:

"The iPad models will be available at SoftBank shops and home electric appliance shops that sell Apple products."

Very few Softbank shops (a grand total of 16 nationwide) will carry the iPad and about 100 retailers (individual outlets, not entire chains) will carry it. I really wish the media would do more homework (a couple of minutes of surfing would do). I guess SB will send reps to all those retailers... what happens after the initial boom?

OMG I wrote a huge post on Thoughts on Apple in Asia and my login timed out, destroying my post.

Here's a thought... What if Apple is going to PUSH THE IPAD THROUGH MOBILE PHONE/ TELCO CHANNELS rather than Resellers in most countries?

Maybe in the rush to get the iPad launched internationally they are going through Telcos? What if these Telcos have got the bright idea to force you to sign up for a plan for the WiFi only model (as in hire purchase or for a WiFi hotspot plan?)

And you can be sure stock will SELL OUT FAST.

Bottom line (pun intended), Apple sells out fast like hotcakes in Asia, still the big status symbol, but support, service and access to stock will be messed up. Resellers, caught in the middle, play a waiting, cat-and-mouse game with Apple on what stock they will get and when and how they will deal with telcos selling iPad as well.

Here in Malaysia, with Singapore (4-5 hours by car including traffic jams at the border crossing) only getting the iPad "sometime in July", well, that puts us either end-of-July or maybe even August given the whole iPad fiasco.

Today is May 9th. So, I have two options. Either today I get my iPad 16GB WiFi for about $750USD from my local grey-market shops (iPads are shipped in from the US), or wait it out for another 3 WHOLE MONTHS until maybe August for official launch, which will still be stock-constrained.

Oh, and for those doing the estimating, I think the percentage of iPads bought in the US that are then actually sent/sold/used outside-the-US, is more towards the 20%-30% mark. Especially now people know how constrained international availability is.

That's akin to requiring a mobile carrier contract to buy a MacBook or iPod Touch. What are they charging for, WiFi hotspot access?

Received a message from my sales guy at the reseller telling me to bring ID and credit card as they are required for purchase of the WiFi model. Counting his boss and the SB reps, that makes four people who have said the same thing. I sincerely hope they are wrong and will have new and accurate instructions to open in the morning.

On SB's HP, there is a snippet about 2 years of free access to their hotspots, which won't do me much good as in town there are only a couple... at McDonald's, where I never eat. Up in Tokyo, that would be a different story.

Within 12 hours, I will know for sure.

---

The pricing isn't a problem... pretty reasonable all things considered. Except that the interest rate on the installment plans decreases with the memory you choose... I plan to pay cash so that doesn't bother me.

---

Apple's Japan page still does not have info on where/how to order the iPad tomorrow; just says it will be available for pre-order from the 10th. Lots of people who haven't been to their regular shop in a while will be in for a surprise when they are told the shops no longer carry Apple products. I signed up for a mailing from Apple regarding the release but have not yet received anything; hopefully that will come in the morning. Sloppy.

Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

"Apple is unable to accept credit, debit, or cheque associated with a billing address outside of Australia." Bummer. Well, I could always call my bank and give an Australian billing and shipping address.

But I'm getting sick of all this iPad-this iPad-that hype and the bulls*t associated with all the pre-ordering and 3G, not-3G whatever. F it. I'm off to watch English PREMIER LEAGUE the LAST MATCHES OF THE SEASON woooo